Getting slower; phyiscal, techincal or mental?

[Globalti]

You are overdoing it, grossly. For an amateur to undertake the riding you are doing is asking too much. Most amateur cyclists spend the summers in a state of permanent low-level fatigue but you are heading for exhaustion and, in my opinion, showing signs of obsession. Why the fasted rides if you are already lean? They will be taking massive amounts out of your reserves.

Take a week off, eat, sleep, relax. You'll be astonished at the improvement when you get back on the bike.

 

[HLaB]

For your peace of mind I'd recommend a simple blood test. I'm not good at following my own advice however, and never got round to a blood test and blamed my fatigue on other things and no amount of resting time off improved things in fact it made it worse. Whilst those other factors went away and I improved I never improved to the level I know I can operate at. It was only then I gave in to friends peer pressure and got a blood test sorted out it turns out that I had a drastic iron deficiency. The doc thinks I should have been dropping dead all summer (during which I did 7 days of a 9 day LEJOG, rested the other two ). Now the simple blood test has identified the deficiency and within 3 weeks I'm back close to about at a guess 85-90% of the level I should be operating at. I wish I'd had that simple blood test 8 month ago not 1 month ago

You've probably not got low blood iron (anaemia) but a simple blood test would quickly show if there is or not another deficiency.

 

[Alan O]

I'm a far more sedate rider, averaging around 10-12 mph on social group rides. But even then, sometimes I'm feeling energetic and mostly at the front, and other times a bit lethargic and at the rear. And, along with what others have suggested, when I have a week or two off, I'm faster and feel a lot stronger on my first ride back.

 

[Venod]

Take some rest, its quite easy to loose site of how important rest days are when you have set yourself a target mileage, ditch the early morning rides, continue with the healthy eating, ditch the fasting, and remember not every rides a race, if your constantly looking at your average speed ditch the computer/GPS for while.
Consider lowering your tyre pressure 100 psi is great when the roads are nice and smooth but most roads nowadays are terrible, lower pressures will absorb the uneven surfaces better causing less fatigue and may even improve your speed for the same effort, tubeless tyres also help with this.

 

[Globalti]

Good advice.

 

[Slow But Determined]

Would agree with all the other posters about taking a break, a bit more focus on recreational rather than speed rides. Don't forget you are also holding down a job whilst trying to do all this training, it all takes it toll.

One thing maybe to look at is to vary your training, don't do it all on the bike, have a few gym days, bit of brisk walking/jogging.

We have probably all been where you find yourself currently and as others have said if you take your focus off the average speed you will probably enjoy your cycling more.

 

[PaulSB]

Temperature drops and the wind picks up around this time of year, so average speed usually drops.

Glad I read the whole thread as I was going to say the same. Early October I went walking in the Pyrenees for a week. Glorious weather, mid 20s C. I went out with my usual groups last week - Wednesday I was awful, Friday hurt a lot and Sunday, last weekend I was hanging on most of the ride.

I always get this effect when temperatures drop, Friday was 6C and Sunday 10C, and I will have to work hard now till March.

Don't worry about it, happens to many riders and you'll come out stronger in the spring.

 

[nickAKA]

Have a rest, that's a lot of miles!
Do you fuel up the night before a ride? I carb load with pasta the night before a planned, longer ride - miles (literally) more energy.
Do you vary your rides? Long endurance rides, short sharp efforts?

 

[nickAKA]

Have a rest, that's a lot of miles!
Do you fuel up the night before a ride? I carb load with pasta the night before a planned, longer ride - miles (literally) more energy.
Do you vary your rides? Long endurance rides, short sharp efforts?

EDIT - point 3 - made me seek out a decent article on this; adresses all 3 points I think...

https://blog.trainerroad.com/how-to-break-through-a-fitness-plateau/

 

[CXRAndy]

CafeCafe : 5 New Market, Otley LS21 3AE I

I worked in Otley, mid to late '80s. Brookes Tv shop

 

[User76022]

Over training?

When you push muscles to the point of fatigue, they actually become physically weaker. Muscle fibres become damaged and have to be repaired. This takes time. Usually not much time, and how much time depends on many factors.

As these micro injuries heal, the muscle fibres are repaired stronger than they were before, and blood vessels expand to supply blood and therefore nutrients faster. Ie, you get fitter. But if you push those muscles to the limit before this repair cycle has completed, then over time you will actually get weaker.

The point is, we all have to rest. That doesn't mean actually do nothing. Rest means take it easy. I like to really push myself once or at most twice a week, then resist the urge to push it, and just ride at a leisurely pace for the rest of my rides. The hard rides stimulate the muscle conditioning. The leisurely rides keep the blood pumping and everything fresh while still allowing the microtears to repair.

 

[nickAKA]

Over training?

When you push muscles to the point of fatigue, they actually become physically weaker. Muscle fibres become damaged and have to be repaired. This takes time. Usually not much time, and how much time depends on many factors.

As these micro injuries heal, the muscle fibres are repaired stronger than they were before, and blood vessels expand to supply blood and therefore nutrients faster. Ie, you get fitter. But if you push those muscles to the limit before this repair cycle has completed, then over time you will actually get weaker.

The point is, we all have to rest. That doesn't mean actually do nothing. Rest means take it easy. I like to really push myself once or at most twice a week, then resist the urge to push it, and just ride at a leisurely pace for the rest of my rides. The hard rides stimulate the muscle conditioning. The leisurely rides keep the blood pumping and everything fresh while still allowing the microtears to repair.

Agreed - couple of rides a week at tempo, threshold & VO2Max, try to do the rest in zone1/2 to build some endurance.